Electric switch-operating mechanism for railways



Patented Nov. l5, I898.

L. E.-WAL'K|N$. ELECTRIC SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Sept. 7, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

No Model.)

m: N ws PETERS co. PNOTo-urnu. WASNINGT L. E. WALKI Patented Nov. I5,I898. NS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Sept. 7, 1898.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-She'et 2.

iJNrrnn STATES PATENT Futon,

LOUIS E. :XVALKIN S, OE SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE MI JEWVETT, OF GLENVILLE, MARYLAND.

ELECTRlC SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 614,412, dated November15, 1898.

Application filed September 7, 1898. Serial No. 690,399. (No model.)

To (0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS E. WALKINS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Springfield,in the county of Hampden andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Switch Operating Mechanism for Railways, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electrically-operating mechanism for theswitches of street and other railways, whereby the motorman on the carmay utilize the motor-current for changing the switch or whereby, ifdesired, the switch may be shifted by the manipulation of thecurrent-switch from a switching tower or station suitably near therailwayswitch.

The invention consists in the constructions and combinations of parts,all substantially as will hereinafter fully appear, and be set forth inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a plan view of a portion of a railway, including the branch or sidingand the switch therefor, together with representation in diagram of thecircuit-conductors. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a motor-carhaving an overhead trolley and provided with appliances which, inconjunction with the railway equipments, may be utilized forestablishing a switch-operating circuit. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionalView and partial elevation, on a larger scale, showing the electromechanical devices for operating the switchtongue. Fig. 4 is a plan viewshowing the relative arrangement of certain contact-making devicescomprised in the switch-operating mechanism.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all ofthe Views. 7

In the drawings, A A represent the usual car-track rails of the railway,B B representing the branch track-rails, and O is the switchtongue.

Located adjacent the switch in a suitable box or casing a, between andbelow the level of the rails, is the switch-operating mechanism, whichwill now be described. 7 D represents an electric motor of ordinaryconstruct-ion and having the capability, as usual in the most commonform of electric motors, of being instantaneously started on the passagetherethrough of an electric current and of being also quickly stopped onthe cessation of the current therethrough. The motor has on its shaft 1)the gear-wheel d,with which meshes the rack-bar f, the same having theguides and supports g, whereby it may be moved endwise'in eitherdirection, accordin g as the rotation of the motor is correspondinglyforward or backward. This bar has the hooks or catch-abutments h at itsends, and it also has the upstanding lug or extension 1', which extendsthrough a slot therefor in the top of the casing a, and with thismemberz' the connecting-rodj is secured,the same being also secured tothe switch-tongue. The rack-bar, furthermore, has the upstanding lug 46while between the said lugs 2' and 2' is a depending fixed abutment 7cof the casingtop. Springs m m are interposed between the intermediatefixed abutments and the upstanding lugz' and t the same, as shown, beingcoiled around the rod m which is supported by said upstanding lugs andplays loosely through an opening therefor in the depending fixedintermediate 111 g. The tendency of these springs is to normallymaintain the rack-bar in its intermediate position.

Adjacent each end of the rack-bar is an armature-lever E, pivotallymounted, as at 10, having the engagement hook or pawl 02 and the spring12 for maintaining the armature-pawl in its position to engage in theshoulder h of the adjacent end of the rack-bar when sufficientlyprojected endwise therefor. Beneath each armature-pawl is anelectromagnet G which when v'italized by the passage of a currenttherethrough will cause the downswinging thereagainst of the pawl end ofthe armature-lever, causing the release of the rack-bar.

The rack-bar has at opposite sides of the motor the two depending posts0, insulated from the rack-bar and provided at the lower end with therollers 0 adjacent which and in a line endwise relative to the motion ofthe rack-bar are the contact plates or fingers p, on which the rollersof the posts may respectively impinge.

Adjacent the switch between the rails is a short third-rail section H,while beyond the switch between the track-rails of the branch is anothersimilar short third-rail section H It is understood that above therailway there is the usual overhead-feed trolley-wire s, on which thetrolley of the car runs and from which it takes the current, as common.The car has beneath it a depressible foot or trolley-shoe t, normallyhaving its position above the level of the third-rail short section H,but adapted to be thrust down to have bearing thereon. Said shoe t hasits body portion vertically guided on the guide-bar t and is supportedby the toggle-levers i one of which is connected to the slide-bar ilinked to the operating-lever 25 This shoe is insulated from the car,but takes the current by a suitable wire or conductor (indicated at 'r)from the overhead trolley-wire.

From one of the short third-rail sections adjacent the switch a wirepasses to the one electromagnet G in the casing a, and another wire 16connects said electromagnet with the one contact-post 0, while theadjacent contact-plate p is, by the wire 17, connected to thebinding-post 18 of the motor D, 19 being a grounding-wire or return-Wirefor the motor-circuit comprising said wires and the magnet G. From theother thirdrail section H farther along the track and beyond theposition of the switch from the location of the section H, acurrent-conducting wire 20 passes to the other electromagnet G of theswitch-operating mechanism, and from this magnet a wire 22 passes toconnection with the contact-post 0, While from the adjacent plate 19'the wire 23 passes to an op posite binding-post 2a of the motor, thewire 25 being connected for the return-current to the adjacentbinding-post 26.

The binding-posts and connections at opposite sides of the motor enablethe field to be reversed, so that the motor will run in oppositedirection, according as the current comes to the motor through the oneor the other circuits.

Assuming that the motor-car is to travel in the direction of the arrow,Fig. 1, and the switch will be found open for causing the car to runalong on the straight track, but it will be desired to cause the closingof the switchtongue to the position shown in Fig. 1,whereby the car willtake the branch, the motorman on reaching the location of the shortthird-rail section H makes contact therewith by depressing the foot if,so that from the overhead trolley a feed current passes down through theshoe into the third-rail section H causing the circuit comprising theelectromagnet G to be vitalized, the armaturelever E being drawn to themagnet, its pawl releasing the rack-bar f, which had been ongagedthereby, and the motor, by the current coming in thereto at 24, is runin the direction to close the switch, the positions of the mechanisminclosed in the box adjacent the switch assuming the positions seen inFig. 3, the contacts 0 p, the one running off from the other, so thatthere Will not be an undue driving of the motor more than sufficient toplace the right-hand hook h into engagement with the armature-lever pawlat the righthand end of the box as the parts are viewed in said Fig. 3.

In order to restore the switch to its open position, the motormau eitherhaving left the foot t depressed until it comes to the thirdrail sectionH or depressing it in time to contact thereon causes the establishmentof a circuit primarily from the overhead trolley-wire through the wire15, vitalizing the magnet G, releasing the rack-bar h, and at the sametime by the current passing by way of wires 16, contacts 0 and p, andwire 17 into the motor in a manner to reverse the field the motor iscaused to run in the opposite direction, opening the switch andreversing the positions of the electromechanical devices from that shownin Fig. 3that is,the left-hand rack-bar hook snaps into engagement withthe armature-pawl E at the" left as these parts are viewed.

The circuits comprising the motor in common to both the electromagnets GG, the contact members 0 p and o 19, adapted to be joined and separated,and the wiring therefor may be rendered live at diiferent instants orperiods, if desired, from a source of electrical energy other than theoverhead-trolley feedwire 3, and in Fig. 1 I have shown a generator at Jwired to the post 4:, adjacent but separated from which are the contactsand 32, from which wires 33 and 34 run, respectively, to connectionswith the electromagnets G and G, as shown, bybeing tapped into themagnet connecting wires 15 and 20 aforementioned. The switch member 10may' throw either the wire 33' or the wire 3t into the circuit forenergizing either of the magnets desired.

This switch may be located at a station or in a switching-tower or atany suitable place along the railway, so that a switchman may operatethe electric switch mechanism instead of the motorman on the car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a switch-operating mechanism,in combination, a switch-tongue andthe electrical contact-section adjacent the switch, an electric motor, abar with which the motor has driving connection, a contact-pieceadjacent the bar and a contact member carried by the bar, adapted tobear on, and to move out of contact from said contact-piece, anelectromagnet and an armature-pawl coactin g therewith and adapted toengage said bar, currentconductors connecting said contact-section withsaid magnet, connecting said magnet with the contact-piece on the bar,connecting the adjacent contact-plate and the motor, and areturn-conductor for the motor, and a connection between said bar andthe switchtongue, substantially as described.

2. In a switch-operating mechanism, the combination with theswitch-tongue and the comparatively short third-rail section, as H thebar f, with which the switch-tongue is connected, an electric motorhaving a driving connection with said bar, the contact as 0 carried bythe bar and the adjacent plate 19, the electromagnet G, and thearmaturepawl adapted to engage the said bar and to coact with saidmagnet, of the overhead trolley-wire, the car having a movable foot andconnection with the trolley-wire and adapted to be placed in contactwith said third-rail section, and current-conductors connecting saidsection with the magnet, connecting said magnet with the bar-supportedcontact, connecting said contact-plate with the motor, and areturn-conductor for the motor, substantially as described.

3. In an electric switch-operating mechanism for railways, thecombination with the switch-tongue, of an electric motor, a bar adaptedto be moved by the motor and connected to the switch-tongue, a source ofelectrical energy and normally open circuit-conductors fed thereby, andadapted to cause when closed, the running of the motor, means forclosing said circuit, a catch device for engaging the motor-shifted bar,and electrical devices for releasing said catch device, for the purposesset forth.

4:. In an electric switch-operating mechanism, the combination With aswitch-tongue, and an electric motor, of a rack-bar having a gear-wheelconnection with the motor, and provided with a catch or engagementmember, and having a connection with the switchtongue, a normally opencircuit connected into the motor, and a source of electrical supplytherewith connected, and means for clos ing said circuit, anelectromagnet having an armature provided with a pawl to engage said baras brought to position therefor by the motor, and normally open circuitconnections joined to said magnet and means for closing said circuit forreleasing said armature-pawl for the purpose set forth.

5. In an electric switch-operating mechanism, in combination, theswitch-tongue, the barf therewith connected, and the motor havingdriving connection with the bar, a feed conductor, and normally opencircuit-conductors, comprising a third-rail contact-section, anelectromagnet, a fixed contact-plate and a bar-supported contact member,and wiresconnecting said third-rail section and magnet, magnet andbar-supported member and plate and the motor, and another normally openset of circuit-conductors likewise comprising a third-rail section, anelectromagnet, a fixed contact-plate and a bar-supported contact member,and wires connecting third-rail section and magnet, magnet and the saidbar-supported contact member and contact-plate and motor, said devicesbeing arranged oppositely relative to the motor, and armature-pawl forthe electromagnets, adapted to have catch engagement with the oppositeend portions of said bar, and means for connecting said third-railsection with the feed-conductor in succession, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

6. In an electric switch-operating mechanism, in combination, theswitch-tongue, and a motor, a bar to be operated by the motor, andconnected with the switch-tongue, two third-rail sections H H arrangedto show circuit-constituting conductors between each of said third-railsections and the motor, whereby, on the passage of the car over therailway, the trolley-current may be caused to pass to saidcircuit-conductor by way of said third-rail section, and an independentgenerator J, contacts 30 and 32, a switch for connecting either thereofwith said generator and wires 33, 34 respectively connected into theaforesaid circuit-conductor, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

Signed by me, at Springfield, Massachusetts, this 15th day of July,1898.

LOUIS E. WALKINS.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLows, M. A. CAMPBELL.

